Okay, so, about that diving headbutt. You know, the one Chris Benoit used to do? Yeah, that one. I got this crazy idea to try it out myself. I mean, how hard could it be, right? Well, let me tell you, it’s a whole different story when you’re the one up there about to jump.
First off, I needed something high to jump from. I didn’t have a wrestling ring, or an Elimination Chamber like they do in wrestling. I started with a simple chair. I practiced jumping off that. It wasn’t very high, but it helped me get a feel for jumping and landing. I did this for a while, jumping and landing, jumping and landing, until I felt like I could move on to something higher.
Next, I grabbed my ladder. It’s a pretty sturdy one, the kind you use to clean the gutters or change a light bulb. I set it up in the backyard, climbed to the top, and just stood there for a minute. Looking down, it was way higher than the chair, and I started to have second thoughts. I thought about Harley Race and others, who invented the move and told people not to do it, and how they got hurt. But, I’d already started, so I took a deep breath and jumped.
It wasn’t graceful, not at all. I landed hard, felt a jolt through my whole body. It hurt, a lot. But I got up, dusted myself off, and tried again. Each time I jumped, I tried to tuck my head in more, to mimic how Benoit and others did it. It was tough. I watched a few videos, pausing and rewinding, trying to see exactly how they positioned themselves in the air.
- Climb the ladder.
- Stand at the top.
- Look down at the landing spot.
- Jump and tuck head.
- Land and feel the pain.
- Get up and do it again.
I kept at it, practicing over and over again. I’d climb up, jump, land, and then do it all over again. My body ached, and I was pretty sure I had a few bruises. I tried to find some videos about it, but didn’t see much. A few people mentioned Harley Race and Chris Benoit, but it wasn’t a lot to go on. I did see a clip of someone doing it off an Elimination Chamber, which looked insane.
The Result
After a few days of this, I realized a couple of things. One, it’s not as easy as it looks. Two, it’s definitely not something you should try without a lot of practice, and even then, it’s risky. The impact, even from a relatively low height, is intense. I can’t imagine doing it from the top of a wrestling ring, let alone an Elimination Chamber. So, yeah, I tried the diving headbutt. Would I recommend it? Absolutely not. But it was an experience, one that gave me a whole new respect for the guys who do this for real.
